“Seven? That’s nothing!” He extended his right hand and unleashed the full power of his cultivation base, the power of a stage four Immortal. His Dharma Idol appeared, throwing a punch that gave rise to a tempest, which then bore down onto the seven black beetles.
Of the seven black beetles, five were similar to false Immortals, and two were even more powerful, emanating the aura of stage two Immortals. Back in the Ruins of Immortality, when the beetles were all grouped together, their collective power was like that of the peak of the Immortal Realm. It was something completely hair-raising. But now, there were only these seven, and under the power of Meng Hao’s punch they were all flung backwards. Their carapaces were crushed, and they were flung violently against the side of a nearby mountain.
Despite being injured, they were as vicious as ever. Radiating ferocity, they once again shot toward Meng Hao in a deadly attack.
Meng Hao’s eyes glittered brightly.
“My attack just now could have killed a stage two Immortal with twenty opened meridians. But these seven beetles are as ferocious as ever. No wonder, considering they’re from the Ruins of Immortality. It would be a real waste to kill them!” He flickered forward, and as the seven black beetles closed in, he reached out, grabbed them, and threw them into his bag of holding, where he forcibly sealed them.
The seven black beetles struggled in vain as the sealing marks were laid onto their bodies. Even afterward, they still viewed Meng Hao as an enemy, and although they couldn’t escape, they would be difficult for him to control.
“When I have the time, I’ll refine them a bit. Or maybe when I fully understand the Sixth Demon Sealing Hex, I can use that to control them.” Meng Hao took a deep breath and then headed off into the mountains.
“The trial by fire ended with an unforeseen occurrence. I really need to get home to see dad and mom. They’re going to be worried.” Meng Hao turned into a beam of light that shot out of the mountains and headed toward the Fang Clan.
On the way home, Meng Hao saw snowflakes filling the sky, and colorful lanterns and streamers decorating the homes he passed. Children played happily, and a feeling of warmth and joy filled the air. Lights burned brightly in all the windows.
“Is it New Year already?” Meng Hao suddenly stopped in midair. He suddenly realized that he missed his family. During the New Year festival, such feelings tend to grow stronger. He was just about to continue onward when he suddenly thought of something. 1
“Hey, I got first place in the final arena match! But I never got my prizes!! My Immortal jades! My Immortality Illumination Vine! My Paragon’s blood!!” When he remembered these things, his jaw dropped.
When he thought of the value of the Immortal jades, how precious the Immortality Illumination Vine was, and how many Immortal jades the Paragon’s blood was worth, his eyes were instantly shot with blood. After a long moment, he clenched his jaw.
“This won’t do. Those things belong to me! I’m definitely going to be heading to the Ninth Sea God World! The Three Great Daoist Societies had better pay me what they owe!!” There was nothing he could do about it now, though, so he had no choice but to sigh in frustration and fly back to the Fang Clan.
It didn’t take long before the Fang Clan fortress appeared up ahead, decked out with lanterns and colorful banners. The feeling of New Year was heavy in the air. All of a sudden, Meng Hao sensed an aura, not of a true Immortal, but perhaps twenty to thirty percent of that of a true Immortal.
At the same time, a young woman appeared. She flew out from the Fang Clan and hovered in midair, looking at Meng Hao.
It was none other than Fang Yu.
She had emerged from secluded meditation while Meng Hao was in the trial by fire. Her cultivation base had risen all the way to the peak of Dao Seeking. With some guidance from Fang Xiufeng, she was now more powerful than a false Immortal. She also would travel the path of true Immortality, although she would use an Immortality Illumination Vine to do so.
When Fang Yu saw Meng Hao, her face lit with happiness. Moments later, Meng Hao’s father and mother appeared from behind her, smiles on their faces.
Actually, Fang Xiufeng had sensed Meng Hao as soon as he had appeared on Planet South Heaven. He gazed at Meng Hao with a loving, although somewhat reserved, smile. As for Meng Hao’s mother, tears were streaming down her face. The past few months in which they hadn’t been certain whether Meng Hao was even alive, had left her haggard from grief.
“Dad, mom, I’m back,” Meng Hao said, smiling. Then he looked at Fang Yu, and couldn’t help but recall memories from Planet East Victory. This was his big sister, who had protected him when he was small. She had a violent personality, which as a youngster had left him awestruck, but there was a warmth between them that came from being family, an